TriQuint Semiconductor was founded in 1985 at the Beaverton, Oregon laboratories of Tektronix by a group of talented engineers who began research and development into GaAs semiconductors in 1978.

Following a strong production-oriented approach from inception, TriQuint in 1988 became the first GaAs IC manufacturer to make the transition to 100 mm (4-inch) wafers.

In 1990, TriQuint was the first company to offer GaAs ICs in plastic packages for high-volume, low-cost radio frequency (RF) applications that included mobile phones. That same year the company also shipped its first space-qualified products for commercial communications satellite applications.

In 1991, three pioneering GaAs semiconductor companies - Gazelle Microcircuits, Gigabit Logic, and TriQuint - merged under the TriQuint Semiconductor name. Shortly thereafter, Steven J. Sharp was named CEO of TriQuint to lead the merged companies. The focus of the new company was communications applications such as mobile phones and other wireless products, satellite communications, fiber optic telecommunications, and computer networking.

TriQuint became a public company in December 1993, raising approximately $17 million in its initial public offering. A follow-on stock offering in September 1995 raised a further $48 million. TriQuint's stock trades under the symbol TQNT on Nasdaq.

In 1995, revenues grew by 50% to approximately $46 million. Strong growth continued in 1996, as revenues increased again to almost $60 million.

In 1996, TriQuint launched its Total Quality Management initiative, called Continuous Process Improvement (CPI). Quality Improvement Teams are formed to improve technical, manufacturing and business processes in all areas of the company's operations.

In the fourth quarter of 1996, TriQuint became one of the first semiconductor companies to implement the SAP enterprise-wide management information system. This leading-edge software combines real-time manufacturing, financial, and sales information in a totally integrated on-line system to improve business efficiency and productivity.

In December 1997, TriQuint moved all operations to a new 32-acre corporate campus in Hillsboro, Oregon. The 160,000 square foot complex includes a 16,000 square foot wafer fabrication clean room capable of Class 10 operation. Increased product and process development facilities are also provided. Additional space on the site allowed the company to further expand operations later in the decade. Revenues continued to grow to over $71 million in 1997.

In January 1998, TriQuint purchased the GaAs MMIC Business of the former Texas Instruments, Defense Systems and Electronics Group from Raytheon TI Systems. TriQuint Texas, as this operation is called, supports both commercial and military applications. TriQuint's military programs include Active Phased-Array Antennas, Missile Guidance, and Electronic Warfare as well as various types of communications and military sat-com systems. Commercial applications include broadband wireless access, optical networking, cellular infrastructure, satellite communications, point-to-point digital radios, and local multipoint distribution systems (LMDS). TriQuint also manufactures physical media dependent (PMD) devices for optoelectronic infrastructure.

As part of the acquisition of the former TI operations based in Texas, TriQuint also received the Research and Development organization focused on advanced compound semiconductors. This R&D organization is now resident in our Richardson, Texas facility and continues development work in the areas of GaAs, InP, GaN and other advanced semiconductor technologies and materials. TriQuint Texas is also home to the company's 100mm gallium arsenide foundry operations, serving military, commercial and related high-reliability GaAs needs.

TriQuint's 150mm foundry operation is located in Hillsboro, Oregon and was established in June 1998 to focus on the unique requirements of GaAs foundry customers. At the time of its inception, 100mm wafers were being processed. TriQuint is one of the largest merchant GaAs foundries in the world. The charter of TriQuint's foundry operations, either based in Texas or Oregon, is to serve customers wishing to put their own designs into manufacturing, realizing low-cost solutions while protecting their Intellectual Property.

TriQuint Semiconductor revenues exceeded $100 million for the first time in 1998.

In the fall of 1999, TriQuint began an expansion of the Hillsboro, Oregon fabrication facility that would eventually add 30% more clean room floor space (and allow a 50% wafer capacity increase). This project was completed in May 2000 and was followed by the 6-inch (150 mm) wafer conversion project completed in Q1 of 2002. This again doubled the effective GaAs device production capability volume.

TriQuint's 1999 revenues reached $164 million.

In February 2000, TriQuint completed a Convertible Debt offering raising $345M for working capital. With a long-term view, TriQuint acquired a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Richardson, Texas and subsequently consolidated all Texas operations under one roof at this location.

Revenues in 2000 continued the upward trend and reached $300.7M.

In May 2001, TriQuint Semiconductor and Atmel announced a cooperative agreement for the design, manufacture, and marketing of CDMA handset components utilizing Atmel's SiGe (silicon-germanium) technology.

In July 2001, TriQuint Semiconductor and Sawtek Inc., Orlando, Florida announced an agreement to merge the companies. Sawtek, a manufacturer of SAW (surface acoustic wave) -based signal processing components for the wireless communications industry, with revenues of $160M in 2000, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriQuint Semiconductor and is continuing to manufacture and sell products as "Sawtek – A TriQuint Company."

Revenue for the year ended 2001 was $335 million.

In March 2002, Philips Semiconductors and TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. signed an agreement for a strategic partnership that guarantees Philips Semiconductors controlled access to TriQuint's InGaP (Indium-Gallium-Phosphide) HBT (Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor) 150mm wafer processing facilities, and provides for joint development of future advanced high-performance process technologies.

TriQuint and Infineon entered into a partnership in July 2002 to develop and produce highly integrated radio frequency, RF, components and modules for customized wireless system solutions. As part of the agreement, TriQuint acquired Infineon's gallium arsenide, GaAs, semiconductor business and opened a design center in Munich, Germany.

Ralph Quinsey joined TriQuint at the end of July 2002 as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of TriQuint's Board of Directors. Steven J. Sharp, who in October 2001 announced his intent to reduce his TriQuint involvement, remains as TriQuint's Chairman of the Board.

In January of 2005, TriQuint's Sawtek subsidiary acquired TFR Technologies in Bend, Oregon to add it's bulk acoustic wave (BAW) expertise to the corporation's technology 'arsenal'. BAW technology is ideally suited for high frequency filter needs that are complementary to SAW technology in both frequency span and performance. TFR products are designed using proprietary processes for military and industrial applications. BAW technology is ideally suited for applications with a frequency span from 300Mhz to 10GHz and beyond.

Today, TriQuint sells a variety of semiconductor, SAW, BAW and optical (physical media dependent) products to four primary end markets: wireless handsets, base stations, broadband communications and military products. TriQuint operates design and manufacturing centers in Oregon, Texas and Florida, and has design centers in Massachusetts and Munich, Germany. It also has field application engineering and sales offices in China, Korea and Taiwan and is represented by a worldwide network of electronics distributors.